Slidable side jaw wrench



June 17, 1952 H. T. RUTHERFGRD SLIDABLE SIDE JAW WRENCH Filed Dec. 11,1950 INVENTOR. Ha ry 7. fa r/1e rforcz afforngy 2 l O Q Patented June17, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDABLE SIDE J AW WRENCH Harry T.Rutherford, Mount Washington, Md. Application December 11, 1950, SerialNo. 200,265

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to wrenches and in particular to wrenchesadapted to turnin pipe or other similar cylindrical stock or tubing.

One object of the invention is to provide a positive adjustable pipewrench.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrench of this typewhich can be better employed in close places.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a pipe wrench inwhich the working faces are always in parallel.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in itsnovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, the principlesof which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described inthe following detailed description, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wrench.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3--3of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 3 showing one of thejaw faces in operating position.

Figure 5 is an inverted plan View of the reciprocatory jaw member.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the jaw faces ingripping the cylindrical surface of the article.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the wrench is of the slidableside jaw type, and probably better known in the trade as a orescentwrench. The wrench is provided with a jaw head 8 upon which isintegrally formed a stationary jaw l0 having a working face Ill and aslidable or movable jaw i2. The slidable or movable jaw moves in a linesubstantially perpendicular to the face of the stationary jaw. On theopposite side of the jaw head 8 is a handle IS.

The slidable jaw I2 is provided with a reduced portion I2 which iscarried in a slot M in the jaw head and is held in location by a wormscrew i8, which is adapted to engage a gear rack 20 carried along theinner edge of the movable jaw portion [2.

The face I2 of the movable jaw I2 is formed at an angle, or taper ofapproximately 20 degrees to the face [0 of the stationary jaw.

The tapered face is preferably provided with a T slot 22 for receiving areciprocatory jaw member 24. This reciprocatory jaw is provided with aportion 24' adapted to be slidably received into the T slot 22. Themember 24 is held in position on the tapered face l2" by a pin 25, the

portion E l being cutaway at 24" to allow for a predetermined amount ofreciprocating movement by the jaw face. Located between the innerportion of the slidable jaw I2 and the jaw 24 is a compression spring 28having one end extending within a recess 38 in the slidable jaw and arecess 32 in the jaw face 24 for resiliently holding the member 24outwardly against the pin 26. The member 24 is provided with a hole, oraperture '36 through which a punch may be extended to remove the pinfrom the jaw I2.

In Figure 6 is shown a diagrammatical sketch illustrating the operationof the wrench. The position of the stationary jaw is shown at 4|] andthe position of the tapered jaw face, when in extended position, isshown at 42. The tapered jaw face will slide along the inclined surface12" of the movable jaw I2 as indicated by the arrow, and by virtue ofthe incline surface of the movable jaw, the outer working surface 24 ofthe reciprocatory jaw face will move to the position as shown at 4'2.Therefore the face iii of the stationary jaw and the inner surface ofthe jaw face 24 are always parallel and grip the work at diametricallyopposite points, or at degrees.

The principle employed in the present invention provides a wrench whichis exceedingly positive in its action and is capable of being used inclose places. The action is on the principle of a wedge in which thetapered jaw forms a wedge between the stationary and movable jaws and atthe same time having the working surfaces of the jaws substantially inparallel planes at all times.

While the reciprocatory jaw face is shown mounted on the movable jaw, itmay be mounted on the stationary jaw. The manner of mounting it would besubstantially the same as shown for the movable jaw.

While a preferred form of the invention has been shown and described itis not intended to be a limitation as various forms of the invention maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof and the scopeof the invention is best defined in the appending claim.

I claim:

A wrench comprising a jaw head having a stationary jaw and a movablejaw, the movable jaw having its face angularly disposed to the face ofthe stationary jaw and sloping outwardly from the stationary jaw in thedirection of their outer ends, the jaw head having a channel through thelower portion thereof and a portion of the movable jaw formed in such amanner 3 as to be slidably receivable within said charm for maintainingand guiding the movable jaw in a line perpendicular to the face of thestationary jaw, gear teeth formed along the inner edge of themovable'jaw and a rotatable worm screw carried by the stationary jawadapted to engage the said teeth for moving and securing the movable jawin predetermined positions, a reciprocatory tapered jaw face having areduced portion slidably receivable within a slot in the face of themovement of the tapered jaw face along the angular face of the movablejaw for a predetermined distance, the movable jaw face having anaperture opposite the said pin when in extended position for inserting atool for removing the said pin and a handle extending outwardly from theback of the jaw head.

HARRY T, RUTHERFORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 793,686 Sherkel 1- July 4, 19051,114,549 Stomberg Oct. 20, 1914 1,174,167 King Mar. '7, 1916 1,392,238Stewart Sept. 27, 1921 1,502,900 Briles July 29, 1924 1,922,680 HastyAug. 15, 1933

